Coast Guard investigating cause of Maine ferry grounding

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — Coast Guard investigators are working with the Maine State Ferry Service to determine why the ferry Everett Liberty ran aground with 30 people on board shortly after leaving the terminal in Vinalhaven, Maine, on the way to Rockland, Maine, today.

None of the 26 passengers or four crew members were injured during the accident and there are no reports of pollution.

The ferry terminal manager called the Coast Guard around 9:25 a.m., reporting the ferry grounded in The Reach, Maine, near Norton’s Point, Maine.

“We worked quickly with the Maine State Ferry Service to ensure the vessel was safe to transit to Rockland and to minimize interruptions to ferry service,” said Lt. Lisa Ceraolo of the Sector Northern New England command center.

A 47-foot motor lifeboat from Coast Guard Station Rockland escorted the Everett Liberty to a ferry landing in Rockland, where Coast Guard investigators and inspectors met the vessel.

Visibility at the time of the grounding was less than a quarter of a mile.